Second in Line
by kaahiescheck
Summary: Quinn is in New York for a paper she's writing for work and she just wants to know when Kurt and Blaine are going to have their second child. With her help. Of course. Features sweet, one-year-old Tracy Anderson.
1. The First Idea

**This is my headcanon for them. Our dearest Anderson-Hummels would not stop at the first child. And God knows the world needs more Quinn in it.**

* * *

Oh, Blaine loved lazy Mondays. Okay, yes, he was aware that it sounds weird, and for most people such a thing doesn't even exist, like, at all, but it was a thing in his family. Seeing as he and Kurt were both Broadway actors, Mondays were the only day they got off, so Blaine had taken to appreciate them greatly.

It was almost lunchtime. Kurt had been going on and on for days about wanting to try a new recipe for a tomato-basil salmon he had found online and now he had banned Blaine from the kitchen so it could be a surprise. Blaine didn't really mind. He had settled in the couch watching Discovery Kids ("It's not _old_, Kurt. It's still for kids, isn't it?"), a one-year-old Tracy on his lap leaning back into him.

His daughter was hugging her favorite plush to her chest – a pink unicorn with a rainbow horn – as she watched, eyes glued to the screen and almost widened in wonder. She always got like this when her favorite cartoon was on. She wouldn't pay Blaine any attention, but he still idly stroked her chestnut hair, healthily growing in pace with her age, while he kept his other arm around her tiny waist to keep her steady.

Blaine didn't even notice he was smiling softly until someone rung their doorbell and he startled a bit. Tracy, on the other hand, was too entranced in the TV to notice the world going on around her. Blaine wondered for a split second if that was a blessing or if it was a growing unhealthy habit she was starting to pick on and that he should nip in the roots. Shaking his head he called out towards the kitchen, "Kurt, can you take it?" Because he knew he couldn't tear Tracy away from him or the cartoon.

"Ah…" came his husband's voice, and Blaine could see him frowning. "Um, not actually. If I leave, the salmon may be ruined. Could you answer it? Food's almost done."

Sighing, Blaine braced himself. He took a quick look around, as he did many times when he was in the living room, checking if everything was baby-safe. Tracy was walking all over the place ever since before her birthday in July, three months back, and he got almost panic attacks whenever he thought of her hurting herself because they were careless and left something dangerous around. As usual, his quick scan of the room turned out clean, and he leaned down to kiss Tracy's head. "Okay, you stay here, and daddy's gonna come back in a bit, okay?"

She fumbled a bit when he took her from his lap and placed her on the couch next to a fluffy pillow, but he figured it was partly him leaving and partly a disruption to her cartoon. Once Blaine was sure she wasn't going to fall over, he walked into the hall and looked through the peephole – he and Kurt were remotely famous and he had a child in the house. He wasn't risking it. However, he shouldn't have worried in the least.

"Oh, my God, _Quinn_," he exclaimed as he opened the door.

Quinn laughed and shrugged, making her blue coat go up and down around her body. He lunged forward to hug her tightly, and she returned it equally. "I'm sorry for just showing up, but I was in the area and –"

"It's _absolutely_ fine," Blaine interrupted her before turning his head to the inside of the house, his hands still on her elbows. "Kurt, Quinn's here! Please tell me you can stay for lunch?" He asked the last part turning to her again and begging with his eyes.

"Of course I can. I was kind of counting on it," she whispered the last part, which made Blaine laugh again.

Blaine ushered her in, taking her coat and hanging it and asking if she wanted anything to drink and where the hell she had come from, because wasn't she in Florida working on something about women's rights there?

Quinn giggled. "I _will_ explain everything, but first things first: where is the princess?"

"Oh!" Blaine grinned and took her to the living room, immediately going around the couch to check that Tracy was still in one piece. And really, she hadn't moved. "She's kind of addicted to that show, though. I think she barely noticed I left to answer the door."

Quinn ignored him in favor of kneeling next to Tracy and placing her hands on the couch in front of her. Tracy's brown eyes unlocked from the TV and turned to the woman smiling at her. "Hi, sweetie. Do you remember Aunt Quinn?" Some recognition must have happened, because Tracy smiled and reached out her tiny hand. Quinn took it in hers and laughed.

"Blaine?" Kurt's voice came from the kitchen. "Can you come here a sec?"

He looked over at Quinn, who was far more interested in taking Tracy in her arms, and made his way to the back of the house. Kurt had just finished placing a green something in the corner of the fancy dish he used for fancy recipes and he looked up when his husband came in. "Oh, could you take these to the table? I gotta go say hi. I'm dying here."

Blaine agreed and went on the set the table for three adults and a child, using a lot of self-control not to steal a tomato when he smelled and saw Kurt's salmon. He took the salad Kurt had put together as well, and the sauces. He needed another trip for the drinks and cups, wondering what Quinn would want to drink and deciding to take a bit of everything.

Once they were all settled around the delicious meal and Blaine was feeding Tracy, Kurt turned his questioning eyes to Quinn. "Okay, _now_ can you tell us what brings you to the Big Apple?"

She barely contained a grin. "So you know how I've been really involved in women's rights and have kind of been all over the place."

"Yes," Blaine said. "As I asked earlier, I thought you were in Florida?"

"Oh, our work there is done for now. I have been invited by Columbia," her face scrunched up in happiness like it did when she told the New Directions she'd gotten into Yale, "to write a thesis for a new project they have coming, along with Brown."

Kurt's eyes widened. "That is absolutely _amazing_! So that means you're gonna stay in town?"

"Yes, for two years, maybe."

"We are so happy for you," Blaine reached across the table to grasp her hand. "We know how passionate you are about your work. And it's really important, too."

Quinn giggled. "But I haven't told you the best part yet."

"There's more?" Kurt asked, swallowing.

"Um, I," Quinn burst out in little laughs, as if she couldn't believe it herself. "The other person who is doing a thesis and then afterwards coming to discuss and blend our work together is, um, Emma Watson."

Still in sync after all those years, Kurt's and Blaine's heads moved forward at the same time, incredulous expressions on their faces. There was silence for a couple of moments while they took the information in. Then Kurt left to grab a bottle of champagne, because this was deemed worthy of one of the most expensive ones.

They managed to continue the meal, in spite of all the excitement going around that even Tracy could feel. They took the champagne to finish it in the living room after they were done eating and after Quinn had helped with the dishes. She had Tracy in her lap in her spot on the couch. The little girl was happy to stay there, even with the TV off.

"Where are you staying, then?" Blaine asked, sitting next to her while Kurt sat on his other side.

"Well, I've just gotten here this morning, so I only left my things at this place I found in Harlem, but it seems nice. It's a cute apartment, really."

"If you need any help, we'll be happy to lend a hand," Kurt offered. "And Rachel and Jesse. And Brittany and Santana. We'll _all_ help."

Quinn laughed. "Thank you. I promise I'll ask if needed. And I will surprise visit them as well, so no telling I'm in town," she raised her eyebrows.

Blaine raised his hands. "Alright, we won't say a thing."

"But once everyone knows," Kurt said, "we are all going out together."

There was a pause in the conversation as Tracy grew impatient and slid from Quinn lap to the floor. Blaine felt that almost panic he got every time she was on her own feet and watched her carefully, free hand ready to jump into action if needed. But his daughter only walked over to her toys a little to the side of the rug and sat down among them, playing. He breathed more easily.

"She's the sweetest little girl," Quinn commented, looking at her fondly. "I can't believe she's over a year already."

"Tell me about it," Kurt sighed. "She's walking all over the place."

"I noticed the little gate on the stairs."

"Oh, but she's already figuring out how to open it, if you can believe that," Kurt continued, and Blaine nodded along. It _was_ a problem they were currently facing.

Quinn's eyes squinted in adorableness. Then her face got a bit serious, and Blaine frowned a bit. That had been a fast shift. He watched as something seemed to be on her mind. She was fiddling with her skirt when she said, "Have you guys given any thoughts to a second one yet?"

Blaine looked at Kurt, who glanced back at him, before saying. "Well, we would love one. It's just, you know, we can't exactly use Rachel as a surrogate again. She and Jesse are trying for their own kid."

"We've been meaning to ask Santana or Britt," Kurt added. "Or suggest it, maybe. But their schedules have been too crazy for pregnancy, and we wouldn't want to impose. It's a _lot_ to ask."

"So we thought of, maybe, looking for a surrogate we don't know?" Blaine continued.

"And she would have to have some of my traits, as the baby would be biologically Blaine's this time, and we just… haven't really had the time to look into it."

"Maybe you don't have to look into it," Quinn finally spoke up, a little smile on her face. Blaine's breath caught a bit. He really didn't want to jump to conclusions here, but was she suggesting what he thought she was? "I mean," she went on, "I _am_ gonna stay in town for the next two years, and it's not like I haven't been pregnant before."

Kurt's jaw dropped as Blaine's hand fell to his knee.

"Quinn, I…" Blaine managed to get out. "Are you… are you serious?"

"I honestly wouldn't joke about this."

"You…" Kurt gaped. "But you have work to do here."

She crossed her legs, seeming more confident now that she had spoken her suggestion. "Yes, and it involves _writing_, something I can do at home. It wouldn't be a bother."

"It wouldn't be a…?" Kurt reached across from Blaine to hold her hand. "We are talking about carrying a human being inside of you for nine months, honey, and then giving birth to it. It's one of the most bothersome things."

"But it's also one of the most beautiful ones!" Quinn insisted, squeezing Kurt's hand and holding Blaine's as well. "I managed to get through sophomore year growing a baby inside of me. Therefore, I can survive growing one while writing _one_ paper."

"It's the paper of your career," Blaine pointed out.

"Are you saying I can't do two things at once?" she raised one eyebrow at him. "Boys, please, I of all people know what I'd be getting myself into. I've been there. And we've joked about this before, remember?"

"Well, yes," Kurt agreed. "But you said you'd be the egg donor."

Quinn waved her hand dismissively. "I'm ready and willing to do this for you if you guys want to. You are wonderful fathers to Tracy and you deserve the best. Besides, I can't let Rachel have all the fun."

Blaine turned to look at Kurt, their mouths opening and closing without making sounds. They didn't know what to say. They had been like this when Rachel had offered as well, because, seriously, it _was_ a lot to ask of a friend. It was a long, tiresome, painful, and stressing process. Of course, it had its beauty, but it was pregnancy. From the moment they start preparing the surrogate's body until the birth, it's over a year of her life she'll have devoted to them.

"I… we don't know what to say," Blaine turned back to Quinn, now grasping Kurt's free hand as well as Quinn's.

"Say yes," she shrugged.

Blaine's head whipped to Kurt again. Both of them had watery eyes and stunned expressions. They hadn't worded it right to their friend; they wanted a second child _so much_ it almost hurt to think about it. They had names picked out. They had the spare bedroom – they had bought this house with three bedrooms and a guest one, already with two children in mind. They knew what they wanted. And be given the opportunity to have it was an indescribable.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand, a smile tugging at his lips. Blaine smiled back and he knew they'd reached a decision. "Okay," he whispered.


	2. The Glorious News

**So this chapter came out pretty quickly and a bit shorter than what I wanted, but oh, well. The next one may take a while, though.**

* * *

They had talked in early October. It had taken until the end of the month to settle things and see doctors and sign contracts (and "Are you _100%_ sure about this, honey? We'll handle it if you decide you don't want to anymore" followed by "_Yes_, Kurt, and if you ask again, I will give Tracy those bar candies before dinner"). Then it'd taken one month and a half for Quinn's eggs to be ready to be extracted, which had put the insemination date near Christmas. Blaine was a little disappointed that they had to wait a bit to know if it'd worked, because he'd wanted to deliver the news at Christmas, but he couldn't do that now.

So he hugged Quinn on the sidewalk in front of the clinic after the procedure, on December 21st. "You can call us at any time of the day, no hesitation, if you're not feeling well or something."

"I promise I will update you on my morning sickness," Quinn said with a smile.

"And remember," Kurt went to hug her as well. "Don't trust those pharmacy tests. We don't need a false positive or negative. You feel anything, go to a clinic and we'll pay you afterwards. You don't feel anything, go to a clinic anyway."

"And we'll all go together after New Year's, yes, I know, boys," she released him. "Now you both need to take your daughter back from Rachel before she learns an inappropriate song from _Into the Woods_."

They said their goodbyes, Kurt and Blaine still fretting over Quinn and telling her not to push herself and to wait until her mother comes to town to go grocery shopping. Blaine knew it couldn't possibly be so easy for an embryo to fall out, or else no woman would ever get pregnant, but, even without having any idea how the implantation process worked, it seemed to help it if Quinn just stayed on the couch, very quiet, for a couple of days. You know, just to be sure.

They did pick up Tracy from Rachel and Jesse's before heading home. They hadn't told their friends, or anyone really, that they were in the middle of trying to have another baby. As far as Rachel was concerned, they'd been on a date.

At home, they finished packing their bags and made sure they got everything and that Tracy was fed and calm before leaving for the airport. It was their first time travelling with her, since the previous holidays their parents had come to New York instead. Blaine just prayed that planes didn't bother her much.

Airports, for one, bothered Tracy very much. Especially LaGuardia Airport in Queens.

Kurt stood to the side, shushing and rocking her, while Blaine talked to the check-in lady. He tried to focus solemnly on the task in front of him, even if his hands ached to caress his daughter's hair until she stopped crying and breaking his heart. As soon as he was finished here, he could use his mother's frequent flier miles and get them into a VIP lounge.

"Okay, sir," the American Airlines lady said while handing him their tickets, pen in hand. "Your flight leaves at ten past three. It's a two hour flight to Columbus. Gates will soon be shown on the monitors, but you can go through security already. Your seats are 1A and 1B, since you upgraded them. Do you have any questions?"

"Ah," he grabbed the tickets from her, "are the lounges open now? I usually take the night flight, and they're sometimes closed."

"We have two American Airlines Admiral's Club. Both of them are open right now. Do you need instructions to get there?"

"Oh, no, no, thank you," Blaine raised his head back to her from where he'd been trying to put the tickets in the inside pocket of his coat. "I know my way. Have a nice day."

The lady wished them a nice flight and shot them one last smile. Blaine took it upon himself to grab both of their satchels so Kurt could hold Tracy more properly as they walked. Luckily for them, their flight had already been assigned a gate, and it wasn't far from one of the VIP lounges, so they went through security as quickly as they could with a stressed out baby and had an hour to relax.

In the much more silent lounge, Tracy's cries were reduced to a quiet whimper. Kurt set himself to steal a couple of cookies from the mini bar while Blaine fed _extremely_ little pieces of apple to Tracy. She already had a lot of teeth, and her canines were currently growing, but Blaine didn't want to risk her choking. After that, and a cup of warm milk, she was out cold in his arms.

"So _that's_ why your mom said we should have Christmas in New York last year," Kurt commented from his spot on the couch next to him, when their daughter fell asleep. "We are so not doing this often. Especially not with two kids."

Blaine giggled. "I guess she has some experience. Cooper probably wasn't the quietest baby."

"I still can barely believe we're doing this," Kurt's voice had dropped a bit as he brushed Tracy's hair away from her face.

"What, flying to Ohio?" Blaine teased him, earning himself a smack to the arm.

"You know what I mean. We're gonna be parents all over again."

Blaine smiled at him lovingly, and Kurt broke his gaze at the baby to return it.

It was all serene and a breath of fresh air until they had to head out to their gate. Tracy lasted about five minutes before waking up due to all the walking Blaine was doing and she immediately frowned. Blaine knew what was coming. It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

Christmas dinner was served at the Hummel's, and Kurt and Blaine (and Tracy) kept going from one house to another before and after that. Burt's coworkers at the shop wanted to meet his granddaughter and stopped the loud noises in the garage so they could bring her there. Blaine's aunt, who had come to spend the holidays with them after a divorce, fawned over Tracy almost as much as Pam. Cooper brought his girlfriend over from L.A. to introduce her and to spoil his niece with far too many presents. Even Sue wanted to see the baby. They paid a special visit to Mr. Schue on the 26th, and his children all wanted to hold Tracy, so they'd made them sit on couch and let them do it. Unfortunately, Sam wasn't in town; he was visiting his parents.

On the 30th, when they were sleeping at the Hummel's, Tracy woke up at 6am because of a nightmare, and Blaine took her downstairs to get some milk to get her sleepy again. He figured Kurt would just continue sleeping, since it wasn't his turn to wake up, but he padded into the kitchen a few minutes later with a sleepy expression but a soft smile.

"What's got you so happy this morning, dear husband?" Blaine asked from his place at the table, next to Tracy's big chair, as she sipped from her purple, sparkling cup.

"Hm, just life in general," Kurt sighed and dropped down on his lap. He pecked Blaine's temple and put his arms around his neck. "And the bed got cold without you."

"Your room is perfectly heated," Blaine responded by landing a kiss on his jaw.

"So maybe I just missed you."

The milk did make Tracy sleepy, and soon enough she was rubbing her eyes and stretching out her arms towards them with a mumbled "Daddy…" that melted their hearts. Kurt scooped her up and snuggled her hair before leaving with her towards the stairs. Blaine stayed to rinse her cup and then followed.

He got to the room and found his husband and his daughter cuddled up under the covers. Kurt opened one eye and pouted. "I couldn't just leave her in the cold."

"Even though she has a cocoon of three blankets no five feet away," Blaine teased while sliding into bed as well, scooting closer. "But you're right. This is so much better."

Tracy was tucked into Kurt's chest from where he laid sideways, an arm lazily dropped over her. Blaine got close enough to touch his chest to her tiny back and caressed Kurt's arm before dropping a kiss to his lips. He pecked Tracy's hair as well and closed his eyes.

The rest of the day passed by normally. It was just another lazy day with the family, having hot chocolate in front of the fireplace, watching TV curled up in blankets, taking Tracy to play in the snow for a few minutes before giving her a shower so she wouldn't get pneumonia, and so on. The fact that they hadn't heard from Quinn at all yet was nagging Blaine, though.

He had whispered it to Kurt a couple of nights before, but they'd both trusted her to call if needed or if there were any updates. It was torturing, especially since it was still very much a secret kept form everybody else. Still, there was nothing they could do but wait. On January 3rd they'd be flying back to NYC and they would take Quinn to a clinic.

It was really just luck that Burt and Carole had left with Tracy to the mall, where Pam had made them come to so she could find her little princess the perfect outfit for New Year's, when Kurt got a call from Quinn and called Blaine to join him on the couch.

"So, boys, how are the holidays in Ohio?" Quinn asked when she was put on speaker and the phone on the coffee table.

"Absolutely fine," Blaine answered. He forced himself not to ask about the possible baby in her uterus just yet. "And how was your first Christmas in New York?"

"Cold, really."

"But you're not going out in the wind, are you?" Kurt leaned forward, frowning. "The last thing we need right now is for you to catch the flu or something."

Quinn laughed from the other end of the line. "Well, actually, I did go out today, but I took a cab, even if it took ages. Is traffic always this horrible?"

"Even more so at this time of the year," Blaine explained.

"Yes, it was horrific. But I may have some news."

Blaine couldn't decipher her tone. He thought it was a bit cheeky, but he could never be sure. His heart sped up twice its normal speed and his hand found Kurt's. They shared a glance. One week was enough for some pregnancy tests to work. They had agreed on waiting a bit more if nothing happened so they wouldn't spend the holidays waiting for her call, even if they'd be restless anyway. Apparently, she had gone without them.

Quinn spoke again when the silence wasn't broken. "Assuming you two are still there, I just had a kind of feeling today and went to the clinic."

"And?" Kurt urged, squeezing Blaine's fingers. They were both leaning forward now.

"Aaaaaand…" There was no mistaking the grin in her voice now. "Congratulations, boys. It worked perfectly."

Blaine's breath caught and the next thing he knew he'd let out a sob. Kurt's free hand flew to his mouth, "Really?" Kurt managed to say.

"Really. We officially have one healthy embryo growing inside of me right now."

Blaine's next sob wasn't as contained and he threw himself into Kurt's arms, almost knocking them both down on the couch. Kurt kept a tight hold around him as he watery told the phone he wished he could hug Quinn as well. She told him he could do that when they came back and hung up to let them celebrate.

Just like when Rachel had told them she was pregnant, Blaine couldn't tell for how long they hugged and spilled tears onto each other's shoulders. Everything was overwhelming and he felt like he could die of love, if there were such a thing. His 26-year-old heart couldn't take all the excitement.

"Oh, my God, it _worked_," Kurt muttered into his ear. "We're having another baby."

"I seriously couldn't be happier," Blaine pulled away so he could look at his face. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Blaine surged forward and kissed Kurt passionately. This time, they let themselves fall back on the couch, Kurt pulling Blaine on top of him without tearing their mouths apart. They kissed for as long as they could before breaking it to breathe through the tears. Blaine rested his head against Kurt's shoulder and kissed his neck, feeling his arms tightening around his back.

"When are we gonna tell everyone?" Blaine whispered. "I don't think I can hold it for much longer."

"Me neither," Kurt laughed. "But this is perfect. You wanted to tell our families on Christmas and it didn't work. Now we can throw an over-the-top New Year's party and do that instead."

"We should probably start preparing, then," Blaine raised his head and rubbed their noses together.

"Hm, five more minutes," Kurt murmured against his lips and resumed their kisses.


	3. Sharing Those Glorious News

**Sorry for the lateness, but college gets in the way ~laughs awkwardly. But on with the story!**

* * *

It might have been a little suspicious, but they invited everybody they could to their New Year's party, held at Pam's house because it was bigger, even if it was smaller than the one she'd shared with her ex-husband. They invited the whole Schuester clan, they invited Sue, they invited Kitty and her parents once they discovered she was in town, and they insisted so much that Sam brought his whole family from Kentucky. Through Kitty, they found out that the McCarthys were back for the New Year's as well and called them on the morning of the 31st. Blaine begged the hell out of Cooper to stay for two more days, which earned him a raised eyebrow, but his girlfriend said it would be fun, and they agreed.

Kurt and Blaine took it upon themselves to throw the party and host it. They had spent the rest of the previous afternoon and night planning it and wondering how they could break the news. What time of the night was best for it? Before dinner? During it? After it? Right before the countdown? Should they have called Quinn and asked her to be there as well? Would Rachel be mad that she wasn't there when she found out?

After much pondering, at around midnight they came to an agreement. They would make the most delicious cake they could and serve it as the main dessert. They would announce Quinn's pregnancy before serving it, and Rachel and Jesse would be on speaker. It was all going to work out.

"Blaine, you can't give her chocolate like that," Kurt reprimanded from his place in front of the counter mixing the soon to be cake.

Blaine just rolled his eyes and popped his finger – which he had just immersed into the bowl of melted chocolate – into his mouth. He scooped more with the tip of his index and put it in front of Tracy's mouth, from where he was holding her with his free arm. She happily grabbed his hand and sucked his finger into her mouth. "C'mon, it's not poisonous," he said lightheartedly. "And it's not like she can choke on it."

"She hasn't had her morning snack yet. You'll spoil her appetite."

"One day in the year."

"And you, mister," Kurt walked to them and took the bowl from the table before Blaine could dip his finger again. "You shouldn't be eating it either. It's for the cake."

Blaine rolled his eyes again, affectionately, as Kurt placed the chocolate bowl next to the one with the cake mix and kept on working on it. Blaine sighed dramatically loudly and muttered something about a buzzkill. He could see Kurt's lips twitching upward, though, so he poked his ribs before retreating with Tracy to the living room. He only came back to do the icing, which wouldn't be pink nor blue, because they didn't know the sex of the baby and it would be bad luck.

"But do think it's a boy or a girl?" Blaine asked as he spread the white icing over the chocolate cake, after checking that Burt and Carole weren't listening in from the living room.

"You made me this very same question when Rachel was pregnant with Tracy," Kurt answered from his place leaning against the counter next to his husband. "And I still have no idea."

"But, like, don't you have this feeling?" he stopped and turned to Kurt, eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "Because the doctor said that the gender is determined by the sperm in the moment of fecundation, so it would really just depend on us."

"No, it depends on the doctor who's fertilizing the egg."

Blaine rolled his eyes and bumped his hip against Kurt's, returning to the cake. "You're no fun."

Kurt chuckled. "Honey, I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. It's our second child. That is squeal-worthy on its own."

"More than squeal-worthy, I'd say," Blaine grinned. "God, I just wanna tell everyone."

"We will," Kurt stole a bit of the yellow icing with his finger just like Blaine had done with the chocolate. "But first, the cake."

"If you'd kindly stop eating it."

"Only returning the favor, honey."

* * *

Blaine tried to distract himself that evening in his mother's kitchen by arranging plates with the snacks he and Kurt had bought and made. His hands were a bit restless, though, which made things a little more difficult. That was the fourth cinnamon roll that had almost slipped through his fingers and met the floor.

"I know you said you don't want help, but are you _absolutely_ sure, sweetie?" Pam called as she entered.

Blaine quickly glanced up and gave her a little smile. "I'm fine. We still have some time before the guests start arriving. I'm just being really perfectionist with these."

"And really fancy as well."

He eyed his intricate way of positioning the rolls on the plates, wondering if maybe it was too much. Would people know something was up when they looked at it? God, they would, wouldn't they? Maybe he should arrange them in a simpler manner. But he didn't want to do that. This night was too special.

"Whoa, hello, champagne," his mother spoke, breaking him from his reverie. He turned to find her next to the open refrigerator, holding one bottle of the champagne Kurt had bought. "This is very expensive," Pam turned it over. "What exactly are we celebrating here?"

"New Year's, mom," Blaine turned back around so she wouldn't see his face, because it would sure give him away.

"Must be the most extravagant New Year's Eve all over the world."

He rolled his eyes and put aside the plate he'd just finished. "Nothing is more extravagant than Vogue's party. I've sent you the pictures, remember?"

"I could never really forget," she put the bottle back in the fridge and walked over to him, trying to meet his eyes. Blaine made sure to keep his on his work. "Blaine?"

"Hm?"

"You seem fidgety."

"I'm just excited for the party."

He cringed internally. What a pathetic excuse. How was he supposed to hold back a secret like having his second child on the way? He couldn't contain his excitement for it. He wanted to scream it to the world.

Pam raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Blaine made himself face her and tried to keep a straight face. "I've just never hosted a New Year's party before."

"But you _have_ hosted Christmas parties and, trust me, honey, it's not that different. There's something to it, isn't there?"

The smile that forced itself on his face betrayed him. He managed to tone it down a few notches so it wouldn't look too creepy, but his mother had already seen it, and was smiling back knowingly.

"Did you get the lead on another show?" she asked excitedly.

"I am not allowed to say anything until dessert. Kurt will have my head."

"So you _did_?"

"Mom!" Blaine turned back to the food. "I'm not saying yes and I'm not saying no. Actually, I'm not saying anything. You're not getting anything from me."

"So there _is_ something?"

He refused to answer, simply shaking his head slowly and going on about the snack plates with a little tug of his lips. He could see her smug expression with the corner of his eye, but he was not falling for it. He would wait. He could wait. He would explode in anticipation, but he would wait.

Luckily, his mother didn't prone further and left the kitchen with a knowing smile. Expect of course she didn't know. She couldn't know, right? But what if she knew? Was he that easy to read? Was it written across his face or something?

_Get yourself together. No one knows a thing._

Sighing, Blaine went back to his work. To his delight, Kurt joined him soon after so everything could get done on time and didn't question it when Blaine fell into his arms and held on tightly for a full minute. By the way Kurt's arms squeezed him back, it was safe to say that he was feeling the same.

* * *

"This is absolutely delicious," Kitty's mom commented once she'd had finished eating her first bite of the gnocchi. There were murmurs of agreement along the table. "I must ask who made it."

Kurt smiled bashfully. "Well, the sauce is all my doing. Something I saw online. But the gnocchi itself is Pam's. She's always made the best homemade pasta."

"Oh, dear, thank you," Pam rested her hand over Kurt's for a moment from her place across from him. "But your sauce is the real highlight. I'm kind of jealous of Blaine right now for having you at home."

Laughter resonated in the expanded dining room. Blaine watched fondly as all his friends and family ate while happily chatting. He was still a nerve wreck, but for now, watching his mother and husband compliment each other's food, he was okay. This was the perfect scenario of his life, actually, even when Tracy spilled the red sauce all over her front from where she sat next to him. Thank God for bibs.

"Everything okay there?" Kurt spoke lowly to him, placing a hand on his thigh.

"Yeah, she just decided to tilt the spoon. Nothing got on her clothes, though, so no need to freak," he finished with a teasing smile before turning back to his daughter. "Because you know very well that daddy would not be happy if you ruined your beautiful outfit, huh?" He playfully poked her stomach to get her to laugh.

"No," she answered, already working on her pout. Even if she wasn't biologically Blaine's, she had caught on to how his pout got to Kurt and tended to use it whenever she did something that might upset Kurt. Unfortunately, it worked smoothly every time. She was _adorable_.

"Okay, princess," Blaine laughed and handed her the spoon back. "No playing with the food."

Her big brown eyes stared back at him, as if considering if she should obey or go crazy. Thankfully, she grabbed the spoon and went back to eating as neatly as a 17-month-old child could, and Blaine breathed in relief. One would think he should be pretty experienced as a parent by now, but he had his moments of doubt. And now they were starting all over again.

He sensed Kurt still watching him and turned his head to find his husband with a sweet smile on his face. The hand Kurt still had on his thigh squeezed it gently before he went back to his food, leaving Blaine with a warm feeling all over. He let himself gaze lovingly at Kurt for a couple more seconds and tuned back in to the conversation and dinner.

Everything was flowing easily. Of course, it had taken a lot of logistics to fit everyone in the dining room, but Kurt and Blaine didn't like the idea of all the guests not being together for the meal and had sweated to make it work. Kurt's sitting arrangements turned out to be perfect, and, up until now, Daniel Schuester hadn't made Tracy cry once (long story). So yes, it was a nice evening.

As soon as people started finishing their meals, though, Blaine got restless again. Dessert would be any time now. They would finally tell everyone. Oh, God, it was going to be okay, he knew it would, but it was terrifying at the same time. Why, he didn't know. They were delivering good news, and if it were received like the last time they'd announced they were having a baby, it would be full of cheers. Still, Blaine could feel his hands shaking.

When Sam at last cleaned his plate, Blaine reached for Kurt's hand under the table, calling his attention. He waited not so patiently as his husband finished his chat with Stacey, Sam's sister, about how she only had one more semester of high school left (and, God, wasn't she a kid, like, yesterday?). Satisfied with her good mind about college options, Kurt finally turned to him in time with squeezing his hand.

"You want to serve it now?"

"I really don't think I can wait," Blaine said sincerely, shrugging.

"Okay," he whispered with a smile and tugged his hand to get them both up. "Blaine and I are gonna get dessert now, so no going to the living room yet," he announced to the table.

"Man, I don't think anything fits in here anymore," Cooper called out.

"Oh, it will fit," Kurt threatened as he started picking up people's dishes. Blaine helped him with it so they would only need to make two trips to the kitchen. On his second round, as his mother handed him her plate, she threw him a knowing wink and seemed to be holding back a giggle. He rolled his eyes at her and went on.

After getting everyone a smaller, dessert plate, and putting them on the table, Blaine leaned back against the sink as Kurt took the cake from the fridge. He held onto the counter for a moment to center himself. He knew that, somehow, when they told everybody, it would make everything even more real. They were having another baby. Tracy would have a little brother or sister.

He couldn't hold back a giggle.

"Um, Blaine?" Kurt called to him as if he'd gone insane.

"Nothing," he smiled and took the cake from his husband's hands, pecking his lips because he could. "I'm just really happy."

Kurt's frown melted into a little smile, and Blaine couldn't help but kiss him again, making it last longer this time, even if the cake was heavy and on the way.

Everyone, especially the kids, eyed the yellow, delicious dessert on Blaine's hands as he and Kurt went back to the dining room. Blaine carefully placed it in the middle of the table, in front of his seat, and stood back.

"Uh, is it pineapple cake?" Daniel asked.

"No, sorry, buddy," Blaine answered. "It's just chocolate," he added sarcastically.

"Well, I'm not complaining," Kitty said.

There was a heartbeat of silence when he and Kurt didn't sit down or start serving. Kurt opened his mouth to speak and inhaled sharply, effectively setting everyone on edge, because there was something going on. Blaine slipped his hand into his.

"Actually," Kurt finally started, "before we start serving and everyone gets high on chocolate, Blaine and I have some news."

"Oh, we should probably get a hold of Rachel first," Blaine whispered to him, suddenly remembering and taking his phone from his pocket.

"Yeah, I'll get Quinn as well," Kurt said once he recovered, grabbing his own phone.

"Ah, what…" Sam started, but Pam shushed him.

"Rach?" Blaine said into the phone.

"_Oh, hi, Blaine! Can you hear me? It's a bit noisy here._"

"Is Jesse there?" He turned his head a bit to the side when he heard Kurt talking to Quinn.

"_Well, of course he's here_," he could practically see Rachel rolling her eyes.

"Could you maybe get him and go somewhere a bit quieter for a moment? Pretty please?"

Now he could see her frown, but she did as she was told nonetheless. It took a couple of moments before they had the cellphones on each side of the cake, on speaker, and now there was no turning back.

Kurt cleared his throat and reached for Blaine's hand again. "Okay, so now that we have almost everyone here, we should tell you that we've been doing a little something behind your backs."

Burt's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really?"

"Shh, dad, it's nothing bad, I promise."

"As some of you might know," Blaine continued, "Quinn is spending a couple of years at NYC to work on a thesis on women's rights. She just showed up at our doorstep in October with this huge news… and a proposition."

"I mean, yes, we had joked about it in high school," Kurt went on. "We joked about a lot of things in high school, so it shocked me to death that she was actually considering it."

"Well, she was considering more than what we had previously discussed," Blaine picked up. "Which makes her all kinds of awesome."

"Not to interrupt, but…" Madison spoke up. "This sounds like Quinn's news?"

"She is a huge part of it," Kurt answered. "Which is why we have to say this."

"_Boys, you're deflecting_," in came Quinn's voice from the phone.

"Right," Blaine breathed out. He squeezed Kurt's hand. "The point _is_ that she agreed to be the surrogate of our second child."

Indeed, the cheers broke out from around the table, along with a thousand questions about when they would start planning everything, and when the procedures would begin, and if it really was going to be Blaine's this time.

"Yes, yes, it is biologically mine now," Blaine answered, quieting everyone down. "And to answer your other questions…" He looked over to Kurt to let him have the punch line.

"She's already pregnant."

All jaws dropped, followed by louder cheers. One by one – or so it was supposed to be –, everyone got up to congratulate them. The tears that had been gathering in Blaine's eyes throughout the whole day finally pooled over when Pam hugged him, saying that this could never compare to a lead in a musical and that she was dehydrating.

Rachel hadn't stopped squealing in delight on the phone, finally hanging up to let them celebrate and making them promise a joint dinner with Quinn so she could give her some tips on growing an Anderson-Hummel baby. Cooper had been hugging Blaine for God knows how long when the Schuester's daughter reminded everyone of the cake on the table, causing Blaine to step back laughing wetly and start serving it, giving her the first piece.

The news of a new baby on the way lifted the mood of the party considerably. People smiled and laughed more, and even Tracy could feel the happiness in the air, giggling every time someone picked her up.

When midnight rolled around, Burt made sure to be the one to pop the champagne. Tracy was being held in Kurt's arms and received a kiss on each cheek from her fathers when the clock hit twelve. Of course, she had been asleep for a while and would go back to it in no time, but for now she was smiling.


End file.
